Fabric



D. s. SPEESE v 1,771,588

July 29, 1930 v FABRIC Filed-Feb. 12, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet l July 29, 1930..

D. s. sPEEsE 1,771,588

FABRIC 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1923 r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jul 29, 1930.

FABRIC F'iled Feb. 12, 1925 4 sheefs-sfieet 4 D. s. 'SPEESE 1,771,588 I Patented July 29, 193d DANIEL S. SPEESE, OF D'ETROJ IT, MICHIGAN Fann e Application filed February 12, 1923 Serial No. 618,468.

In my application filed Nov. 8,1920, Serial No. 422.458, Patent No. 1,485,056, there is disclosed a knitting machine of the cylinder type for producing'tubular fabric that may enter into hose or other knitted articles, and this invention has special reference to the fabric, its texture, and thread configurations, irrespective of the mechanism, needle arrangement or specific type of machine employed for manipulating threads or stitches to produce the fabric.

. My invention, in its broadest aspect, aims to provide a fabric so knitted that should one or more of the threads thereof be worn or broken, the fabric: will hold the broken threads or contiguous thread configurations so that the fabric will not unravel,- so providing a gap or hole that can run and temporarily, if not completely destroy the appearance of the fabric. It is a well known fact that if a thread of a silk stocking is cut, broken or otherwise severed, that stretching of the stocking, due to wear and putting on or taking off the stocking, will cause a run longitudinally of the stocking, leaving a gap oif" long hole that destroys the appearance ofthe stocking on a leg. Such a run may cause the stocking to tear so that it must be discarded.

My invention further aims to provide looped interengagingthread configurations, somewhat along the lines of the double chain stitch, alternating thread configurations connected by diagonally disposed threads which are adapted to hold the thread configurations closely bunched or assembled so that the alternating thread configurations cannot spread and release intermediate thread con tigurations, particularly if threads of such intermediate configurations have been broken. The diagonally disposed connecting threads also serve to hold the broken end of any threads of the looped configurations in place, and this, together with the idea of alternating thread configurations, provides a closely knitted fabric that may, be advantageously used for stockings and the like.

The fabric, as well as the method of knitting the same, will be hereinafter described and then claimed, and reference will now be i had to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view of a piece of fabric, showing one face thereof, greatly magnified, I to illustrate asurface or texture produced by the knitted threads;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the reverse face of the piece of fabric; I

Fig. 3 is a view of the piece of fabric on an enlarged scale, with the fabric stretched or Be loose to show the manner in which the threads are knitted, this View permitting of the threads being traced throughout the fabric;

Fig.4 is a perspective view of guides and needles showing the manner in which the fabric is knitted; l

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing the formation of looped thread configurations;

Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive are diagrammatic 7 views illustrating the movement of guides relative, to needles for producing knitted fabric in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 12 is a view of an ordinary piece of fabric, greatly magnified, to illustrate a run when one or. more threads of the piece of fabric are broken, and i Fig. 13 is a view of my piece of fabric, greatly magnified, illustrating how con tiguous thread conformations are held even though one or more threads are broken.

Opposite faces of a piece of fabric have been greatly enlarged or magnified in Figs.

1' and 2 and in the former it will be noted that the majority of the threads C are diagonally disposed or at an angle to an imaginary longitudinal line of the fabric, and

this is in contradistinction to threads that have heretofore been extended either circumferentially or longitudinally of the fabric when. having a tubular form such as knitted in my machine. The reverse face of the fabric has overlapped loop conformations andby reference to Fig. 3, it will be noted that each loop is composed of two threads which more or less 'co-incide and provide loops A and B that may be in parallel relation or one within the other according to the manner in .which thethreads set when being knitted. Considering the loop B as an inner loop, .said loop has its end threads alining and disposed at an angle tothe major axis of the loop and the outer loop A has substantially alining end threads D disposed at a reverse angle to the end threads C of the innerloop B.

The sets of loops are in closed conformation with the large ends of the loops overlapping the small ends, or in other words, the thread ends C and B of one loop pass through the large end of an adjacent loop conformation, thetwo threads, however, extending to different loop configurations.

Considering the loop conformations, there are longitudinal and transverse rows and in order that the threads may be followed from one row to another, I have designated a few of the loop configurations 1 to 15 inclusive, the loop conformations l'to 5 being in one transverse row, the loop conformations, 6 to 10 in another row and the loop conformations 11 to 15 in still another row.

Following out the end threads D of the loop' conformations 8, said threads cross the loop conformations 9 and 12 of "adjacent rows and enter the small ends of loop conformations 5 and 11 of alternating trans verse rows, or even alternating rows when considering the vertical rows. The thread ends C cross loop conformations-7 and 14, enter the small ends of the loop conformations 1 and 15. This means that alternating rows or loop conformations are tied together by diagonally disposed threads crossing the intermediate rows of loop formations, and it will be noted that the thrt rd ends C and D are crossed, either-under or over, by other ends E, F, G and H with the threads crossing on the loop conformations 7, 9, 12 and 14. The thread ends E, F, G and H connect alternating loop conformations similar to the thread ends C and D and in consequence of this articulation of loop conformations the threads are bound together so that should anything happen to either the outer loop A or the inner loop B that the ends of a severed thread or even a released loop cannot easily work out from under the crossed threads which bear on it.

This is brought out'in Fig. 13, where I will consider ,the loop conformation 8 as having been broken, as at K. The threads which form the small end of the loop conformation 3 will be somewhat released, but will be held by the diagonal threads crossing on the loop conformation 3. The severed ends of the outer and inner loops A and B of the loop conformation 8 will be held by the crossed threads on said loop conformation and this broken loop conformation cannot spread or work out due to the fact that the crossed threads, made heavier than others in Fig. 13, bind the loop conformations 2, 7 and 12 to one adjacent row, and 4, 9 and 14 to another adjacent row against the intermediate row of loop conformations 3, 8 and 13. In other words the crippled loop conformation is supported on all sides and it is practically impossible to stretch the loop conformations 2, 7 and 12 relative to loop conformations 4, 9 and 14 by reason of the crossed connecting threads. If it were not for these threads connecting alternating vertical rows of loop conformations, it would be possible for a. spreading action to take place, such, for instance, as is brought out in Fig. 12. In this latter piece of fabric the crossed threads M are between adjacent rows, and should inner and outer loops be broken, as at O, the loop conformation P is partially released and to partially spread out, with the result that vertical rows or wales of loop conformations S are permitted to spread apart; under such conditions the intermedi ate row of loop conformations is destroyed by a run of collapsed loop conformations, such, for instance, as are indicated at T in Fig. 12, and are simp'lyt'hreads connecting the rows of loop conformations S. This cannot happen with my'pie'ce of fabric as shown in Fig. 13, for the reason that alternate rows of loop conformations cannot spread apart. even though crossed threads are severed, so there is a distinct advantage gained by connecting alternating-rows of loop conformations instead of adjacent rows. To accomplish this it is necessary that thread guides, needles or the like in a knitting machine shall have defined paths of travel varying in .length, so as to knit the threads in a crossed manner between alternating rows of loop conformations.

As giving some idea of a thread guide and needle movement, reference will now be had to Figs. 4 to 11 inclusive.

As heretofore pointed -out, the preferred embodiment of the invention is a fabric of tubular form, the knitting thereof being preferably provided by the use of a circular machine, in which case the needles are arranged in an endless series. However, for the purpose of illustrating the development of the fabric in knitting, I have, in Figs. 4 to 11, shown the guides and needles arranged in a straight-line formation, a sufficient num-' ber of each being shown eral development characteristics. And to conform the showing of Fig. 4, for instance, I have referred to the guides 73 guides. guides 86 as inner guides, the figure thus illustrating somewhat the arrangement which would be seen by looking from the axis of the tubular fabric toward any section of the knittingzone, the needles 18 being arranged inside of the guides, the formed fabric passing down centrally of the knitto illustrate the gen- I as outer figuresis produced, the diagrammatic views illustrating movements in straight; lines rather than curved lines. In the machine,

the needles reciprocate vertically, while the guides are shittable in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4, the outer'guides 7 3 travelling generally in the one direction, while guides 86 travel generally in the opposite direction.

are shown as travelling to the left and guides 86 toward the right, Fig. 8 illustrating the.

guides as having advanced in these directions (thus moving the guides which had been in proximity to each other in directions away from such meeting point) until each guide has come opposite the succeeding guide of the other row; in other words, the first guide 73 at the right in Fig. 7 has become the second guide 7 3m Fig. 8the first guide 86 at the left of Fig. 7 being shown as the second guide 86 of Fig. 8. As will be understood, each of the guides of the row has had the same movement, so that while both Figs. 7 and 8 show the guide 73 at the right of Fig. 7 as being opposite a guide 86, the guide 86 of Fig. 8 is the-succeeding guide of the series of guides 86, the showing of the relation of the guides at the left of Fig. 7 placing a similar condition with respect to the guide 86 and the succession of guides 73. These two positions can thus be considered as indicating two successive positions of a pair of guides travelling in the general directions of the guide movements; and, as indicated, the movements between the positions has taken the thread which is being carried by the guide, past a needle 18.

It should be noted that Figs. Wand 8 do not disclose the relative positions of the guides and needles shown in l; this will be understood from the fact that in Fig. 4,

the guides 86 are shown as between the row of needles and the row of guides 7 3while in Figs. 7 and 8, the guides 7 3 are shown as being intermediate guides 86 and the row of needles; Fig. 9, for instance, shows the arrangement of Fig. 4 in this respect, guides 86 being the intermediate guides, but the relationshipof the guides relative to each other (as inner and outer guides) has not been changed. This is referred to at this point to bring out the fact that in the shift of the guides from the position of Fig. 7 to that of Fig. 8, the threads have been carried on the inside of the needles 18,.and thus in a position where the downward travel of the needle will not cause the needle hook to grasp the threads. Byconsidering the needles 18 of Figs. 7 to 11 as having the hook side extending toward the top of each figure, the-relative arrangement will be understood; this will be made apparent as the development progresses.

Reaching the position of Fig. 8, the direction of movement of the guides is changedinstead of the guides continuing onward as before, the guides travel laterally of the former path of travel, with both guides of a pair travelling in the same direction, this being indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 8. Fig. 9 indicates the completion of the movement of the needles in this direction, and indicates that the guides have now passed to the opposite side of the row of needles,- the side which faces the hook of the needle, as in Fig. 4; the right-hand vertical dotted line ofthe three-sided dotted representation of Fig. 7-will illustrate the movement and its extent with respect to a guide 73. Since the guides have travelled from the inner to the outer sides of the needles during this movementy'it will be understood that the two threads which have been carried by the two guides'have been bent around the shank of the needles, Fig. 9, for- -purposes of illustration, showing this bend as being out of contact with the needle, in order to make clearer the general development. When the needles pass downward, this bend is eliminated, since the previous thread movement (the movement fromthe position of Fig.7 to that of Fig. 8) hasleft the thread on the side of the needle oppositethehook,

Passing to Fig. 10, the guides are shown in the position of the completion of the movements indicated by the arrows of Fig. 9. This movement has had similar characteristic to that of the movements from'the position-lot 7 to that of Fig. 8, carrying each thread past a needle, but the movement has been outside of the needle instead of in; side of it, and hence has placed the thread in the path of the hook of the needle that .is next in succession to the needle which had been previously passed. As in the movement beginning with the position of 7, this later movement has the guides travelling in opposite directions, and continuing until a guide reaches its position opposite the succeeding guide of the other row of guidesthe position indicated in Fig. 10. This move--" ment cambeconsidered as the connecting line between the two vertical lines of the dotted representation of Fig. 7.

As indicated by the arrows of Fig. 10, the pair of guides then travel laterally in the same direction, this movement causing the guides-to pass from the outer to the inner side of the needle, and reaching to the position of Fig. 11, the movement corresponding to the vertical line at the left of the dotted representation of Fig. 7, the effect being that the guide 73 of Fig. 7 has passed from the position at the right of the dotted line representation to that at the-left of such representation, a distance equal to that which was travelled in passing from the p ition of Fig. 7 tothat of Fig. 8, but in travelling this distance, it has carried the thread on the opposite side of a needle from theside on which it had carried the thread relative to the previous needle; hence, in carrying the thread past two succeeding needles, the guide has placed its thread on freesi'de of one needle and the hook side of the succeeding needle. And since the lateral distance be-' tween the guides does not vary, it will be understood that this action has taken place with respect to the threads of the guides of both 1'owsin' Fig. 10, for instance, the threads of the two guides which have .passed a needle in passing from the position of Fig. 7 to that of Fig. 8, have been bent about the needle, and the same result is present in connection with the movement from the position of Fig. 9 to that of Fig. 10; the differnce has been thatthe two threads, in one case, have been carried on the free side of the needle and in the other case have been carried on the hook side of the needle. When, therefore, the needle as moved downwardly so that the hook becomes engaged, the hook will engage with one set of these bent threads While the other set will not be engaged by the needle and will remain free.

The showing of the guides and needles of Fig. ll represents similar positions to that of Fig. 7, each guide having, however, travelled the distance sufiicient to place it relative to the second needle beyond the needle of Fig. 7. so that the cyclewhich has been described has placed a guide in position for a similar operation with alternate needles placing its thread in position to be taken by the hook of one needle, and passing the succeeding needle in such position asto leave the thread free from the action of the needle hook. The movements of the guides of a row are always in the same general direction clockwise or counterclockwise on a circular machinebut the movements are provided in two substantially parallel paths, the movement in one path being followed by a movement to the other path, then along that path,

and finally back to the former path to begin l the succeeding cycle of movement. The movements in the paths are of equal length, but the movement is not continuous in either path, a-path zone of movement being followed ment is in the other path, and then a return to the beginning of a succeeding zone in which the guide is again travelling in the path. In no instance is the thread carried completely around a needle, it being carried around three sides, but never completes the rectangle, the movements corresponding to three sides of a rectangle, in which succeeding rectangles have sides common to adjacent rectangles, but with the open side of one rectangle opposite the open side of the adjacent rectangle, it

being understood that the movements indicated by the arrows in Fig. 11, would provide a connecting line such as shown in the dotted representation of Fig. 7, but'on the inner side of the needle and-relative to the succeeding needleto that shown within such representation. V

In referring to the rectangle characteristic in this manner, it will be understood that reference is being made to a particular guide, the dotted line representation of Fig. 7 illustrating the movement relative of one of the guides 73 (the guide at the right of Fig. 7 which is being used to illustrate the course'of a thread through the cycle, as indicated by the heavy line which leads from the first needle at the right to such guide; the adjacent guide 73, while having a movement effective to produce'a similar three sided figure, has the movement relative to the needle adjacent that shown as within the dotted line representation, as indicated by the arrow showing of Fig. 7. The dotted line representation of Fig. 7 also illustrates the path of travel of the guide 86 at the left of Fig. 7, the thread of this guide also being used as illustrative in the development of the cycle asshown in Figs. 7 to 11. From this it will be understood, of course, that in the complete development, none of the needles 18 remain inactive, a needle that receives its threads on the free side from one pair of guides, receiving the threads on its hook side from the succeeding pair of guides, so that alternate guides of a row will travel the same path through the operations, adjacent guides traveling similar paths but with the paths "distances, it will be understood that the diagram for guide 86 will be displaced with respect to the dotted line representation, in that the connecting line will be inside of dotted connecting line a distance equal to the spacing of the two rows of guides,'the vertical lines being continued so as to reach the position of the line of the guides 86; but for purposes of explanation, the single dotted representation will illustrate the general characteristic of the travel of the two guides at the end of the figure, both travelling on the same side of the particular needle shown as within the repre- 'sentation. Since thetwo are travelling in opposite directions, the two guides do not have this concurrent action on the same needle until, in the travelrof the two rows, the two guides again have the relative positions shown in Fig. 7in a tubular fabric this would take place on the opposite side of the machine.

Since the outer guides 7 3 always retain this relation to the inner guides 86, the threads carried by the guides have the same relation to each other, with respect to overlapping conditions, during the development of the knitting; in other words, the three which forms the face of the fabric opposite the loop configuration face, is always the overlapping thread and is found as one of the threads carried by the guides which carry that thread; for instance, in Fig. 3, thread C is the overlapping thread, although shown as the inner thread of the loop, thread D being the underlying thread. From this it will be seen that whichever guide-7 3 or 86may be carrying "gfithe overlapping thread 0 'in the machine, all

of the threads which have the overlapping characteristicare carried by the same set of .guides. It will be understood, of course, that in the machine, the direction. of general advance of the guides may be opposite that shown in Figs. 4 to 11, the feature being that one set of guides advances always in the same direction when moving from needle to needle, the other set of guides moving always in r the opposite general direction in advancing from needle to needle, the guides,however, travelling alternately in parallel paths, with a lateral movement between the paths, when shifting from path to path in producing the progressive advance of the guides.

The movements of the needles 18 are, of

course, timed with relation to these moverelative to the free side of the needle.

ments ofthe guides. Assuming the needles to be down, and the upward movement begun, the movement of the guides from the position of Figs. 7 to 8, and from 8 to 9, take place during the upward movement of the needles,

these guide movements carrying. the threads The movements of the guides from the position of Fig. 9 to that of Fig. 11 take place while theneedles are in the upper position, thus laying the threads on the hook side of the needles. A dwell in guide movements then takes place while the needles pass to their lower positioncarrying with them the threads laid on the hook side of the needlesthis movement of the needles carrying these latter threads through the loops within which the needles have travelled during the cycle, thus releasing these loops and preparing the.

loops for the succeeding row of loops. As the needles again resume their upward travel they reach points where the succeeding cycle can begin and the guide movements are resumed for the succeeding cycle. As in knitting machines generally, the formed fabric is lowered .so that the newly formed loopswill be in proper position for the activities diagonally in a direction opposite that of the companion thread, the two threads crossing and being in overlying relation at the crossing point on such plane. This will be understood from an inspection of Figs. 7 to 11, and tracing the development of the representative threads in said figures.

For instance, in Fig. 7 the needles are be ginning their upward travel, and the thread of guide 7 3 at the right (which has formed one of the threads of a loop then on the needle from which the thread leads) is, in reaching the position of Fig. 8, carried past the second needle from the right of Fig. 7, reaching the position of Fig. 8. At the same time, the thread at the left of Fig. 7, which is leading from the loop then on the needle that is 11 and 15 would correspond to the loops that a are on the two outer needles in Figs. 7 to 11. In passing from the position of Fig. 7 to the posit-ion of Fig. 8, these two threads .are brought to the positions represented by thelower ends-of the dotted line representation of Fig. 7 the thread on the right of Fig. 7 having passed the second or adjacent needle and taking a position between the latter needle and the third needle (the central needle of the group shown), the thread on the left having similarly advanced past the second needle from the left and taken its position on the opposite side of said central needle. These latterpositions could be considered, .for instance, 'as somewhere between loops- 12fand 13 for the thread on the right in Fig. 7 and somewhere between loops 14: and 13 for the thread at the left of Fig. 7. These two threads then provide the sashay movement about the central needle-the successive' positions shown in the development from Fig. 8 to Fig. 11-with the result that the thread at the right of Fig. 7. has now reached the position or generalstation that had been occupied by the thread at the left in Fig. 8, thelatter thread having, in turn,

reached the former position of the thread at the right in Fig. 8, these two threads thus having reversed their positions at the sides of the central needle. In Fig. 3 this cycle movement of the sashay would carry thread D from the position between loops 12 and 13 to a position between loops 13 and 14, reversing positions with thread C which had been between loops 13 and 14. The two threads thus pass by loop 13-which is then on the central needle -but without passing into loop 13, the dwell of the guides in the position of Fig. 11, leaving threads C and D in the positions just referred to.

Threads C and 1), which are at this stage individually a thread of loops 15 and 11 respectively, in reaching this-position of Fig. 11, have passed by the. needles-which are carrying loops 14 and 12 respectively, passing on the free side of these latter needles, and have passed the central needle which is carrying loop 13, the passing of the latter being on the hook side of this needle and with these .two'threads forminglthe only threads within the path of travel of the hook of the needle;

in the loops that are on the needles, thread D' isone of the threads of loop 11, while thread 0 is one of the threads of loop l5-but.

- ing in position for the action of the hook of the central needle to develop the succeeding loop (loop 8) by the movement of the hook through loop 13 during the downward movement of the needle and by the lowering of the fabric, lowering of theneedle releasing loop 13, and leaving threads C and D in the hook of the needle to produce loop 8 with this loop on the. central needle while the latter is in its raised position. Since each needle has been similarly active, loop 8, thus produced, is a loop in the succeeding row of the fabric from that which had contained loops 11 and 15 in which these threads had been active.

With the row of loopscontaining loop 8 now on the needles, and loops'rll and 15 as loops of the row whichhad just been released from the needles, it will be readily understood that thread D, in passin from loop 11 to 100 8 has been carried" iagonally u ward n the fabric, crossing loop 12 in t e progression; thread Chas also been carried diagonally upward from 100 .15 to loop 8, with the diagonals of the two t reads opposite one another in direction, thread 0 passing over loop 14 during the progression Since each guide of the series was producing a similar result with another needle of the series of needles, it will be understood that durin the progression of thread 0, for instance, om

loop 15 to loop 8, the threads of loops 12, 13 and 14, that correspond to thread D of loop 11, were being carried diagonally upward parallel to thread D and crossing thread 0 during this progression; similarly threads which correspond to thread C were being carried diagonally upward from loops 12, 13 and 14 (parallel to thread'C) and crossing thread- D. during the progression of the latter from loop 13 to loop 8. As this is true with respect to each loop and thread, the resultant action isv the development of a diagonal arrangement in which each loop is backed by crossing threads 0 and D, with a pair of crossing threads having their crossings between loops, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. Of the crossing threads each has a length corresponding to the diagonal between alternate wales and adjacent rows of loops, the-arrangement being such, however, that the overlying thread is always the thread which extends in the same diagonal direction in the progression, the underlying thread is always extending in the direction of the opposite diagonal. As a result, the face of the fabric opposite that of the loop conformations, presents the appearance of a diagonal weave, with the diagonals always in the same general direction and apparently made up of short threads which correspond to the length of the diagonal between the alternate wales, as indicated in Fig. 1.

With the downward movement of the needles while the guides are in the position shown in Fig. 11, the two threads of loop 8 are drawn through loop 13, to complete loop 8. At this time the guide of thread G is located between the wales which include loops 7, 8, 12 and 13; the guide for thread D is,

at this time, between the wales which include loops 8, 9, 13 and 14; the row of loops 6 to 10 are on the needles, beneath the needle hooks. As the needles rise, and the fabric is lowered, a repetition of the described cycle is begun, Fig. 7 representing the beginning of the cycle, but with the threads in the position of Fig. 11, a position in which the central needle represents, for the moment, both the needle at the right and the needle at the left of Fig. 7, the two threads of the latter needles being the two threads of the loop that is being carried by the central needle of Fig. 11. As the cycle begins, the third guide 7 3 from the right (which is carrying thread D) moves toward the left as indicated by arrow, while the guide 86 that is third from the left in Fig. 11 (and which is carrying thread G) moves toward the right as indi-' its I side of the needle at the left of the central needle, and have carried thread C past the these guides in the next positions beyond those of the guides shown in Figs. 7 to 11. With the downward movement of the needles at the close of the cycle, the row of loops, indicated as 1 to 5 in F ig.. 3, remain on the needles (row having loops 6 to being released); and in this row that is on the needles, thread C is one of the threads of loop 1 while thread D is one of the threads of loop 5.

It should be noted that in this explanation of Figs. 7 to 11, the thread which isleading from the needle at the right in Fig. 7 is being indicated as thread D, while the thread leading from the needle at the left is indicated as thread C; this has been done because of the similarity of the illustrating marks to 1 those used in Fig. 3. In comparing Figs. 7

iii)

to 11 with Fi 3, however, there would appear to be confusion, since thread D, in Figs.

7 to 11 is advancing toward the left, whilein Fig. 3" it is shown as advancing toward the right, thus presenting a reversal in the direction of advance of threads C and D between Fi 3 and Figs. 7 to 11. This confusion is rought about because of a desire to illustrate the cycledeveloprnent with the guides in correspondence with the showing of Fig. 4. If it be assumed that the guides 73 are advancing in a general counterclock-.

I) wise direction in Figs. 4 to 11, it will be understood that if the advance of these would determine the direction of the diagonal Weave of the face of the fabric shown on the face opposite the loop face. With the direction of advance of guides 73 as indicated in Fig. 7, for instance, the diagonal would be that of thread C in Fig. 3; if the direction 'of advance of these guides is reversed, this diagonal will be that indicated by thread D in Fig. 3, guides 73 carrying the outer thread that is exposed on the diagonally-appearing face of the fabric.

As will beseen, threads G and D (Fig. 3) both appear in each of the successively knitted rows of loops, appearing, however, in the same loop. only in the row in which these two threads pass each other in the development. It will also be seen that the two threads appear in the same wales illustrated in Fig. 3, but the wales in which they appear are alternate and not adjacent. Considering the Wales as rows of successively-formed loops and the rows which intersect the wales, as rows of concurrently-formed loops, it will be understood that the thread progression is such that each of the threads of a loop formation of one row provides a thread of the loops of two similar loop formations located in rows on opposite sides of the row containing the pair-of-threads loop formation, with the progression of a thread from loop to loop extending diagonally to the direction of length of a row, the progression of athread to and from the pair-of-threads loop formation being from and to a loop of. adjacent rows when considered with. respect to the concurrentlyformed loop rows, and from and toa loop of wales or successively-formedrows that are spaced from the pair-of-threads loop formation by an intervening Wale or row.

Fig. 3 illustrates but a small section of the completed fabric-suflicient to illustrate the development of the thread progression covering three concurrently-formed loop rows. The- View, however, illustrates the direction from which thread C approaches loop 15, and the direction from which thread D reaches loop 11; also the direction in which thread ,C leaves loop 1 and thread I) leaves loop 5. These will indicate that the diagonal thread progression is in the same direction in developing a continuous succession of loop formations of which the'thread forms a part. For instance, loop 8 of Fig. 3 has both threads in the same row and wale, distinguishing from'loops 1, 5, 11 and 15 in that the threads of loop 8 are also in the same loop; both threads are in the row containing loops 1 and 5 and loops 11 and'-15as well as in the Wale containing loops 1 and 11 and that containing loops 5 and 15; but in the latter instances the threads are in different loops. In Fig. 3, loops-1 and 11, in the same wale,

are spaced by loop 6; in the row of loops below that which contains loops 11 to 15, thread D would be found in the second wale beyond that containing loop 11, and thread C in the second wale beyond that containing loop 15; and in the row which. follows the row containing loops 1 to 5 thread C- will be found in the second Wale beyond that containing loop 1, thread D being found in the second Wale contain ng loop 5. In these two latter wales, the two loops would be spaced apart in the wale by loops found in the rows 1 containing loops 1, 6 and 11, thus placing three intervenlng loops between the loops which have threads Cand D Within the wale. This development, which has the effect of continuing the diagonal progression in the same direction, remains the same throughout the fabric, so that the face of .the diagonal weave appearance has each of its dia onals extending in the same direction. ff the fabric is tubular, the development which has been described will gradually bring threads C and D to a row and wale in which these threads are in the same loopthis occurring when the guides have reached the opposite side of the circle which represents the path of-travel of the guides, the threads then again separating as in Fig. 3, until the complete revolution has been made when they meet again in the same Wale which contains loop 8; but the two loops of this Wale would be spaced apart by a number of rows of loops. Throughout, however, the diagonals remain constant in direction.

The advantage of this development in se curing the purpose of the present invention will be readily understood 'by a comparison of Figs. 12 and 13, the former showing the diagonals as extending from one wale to the adjacent Wale, Fig. 13 showing the diagonals extending between alternate Wales, Where the diagonal reaches to the adjacent wale, the

weave will provide for crossed threads, but

the crossing point is only between wales, there being no crossing point superposed, on the loops of the Wale; as a result, a damaged loop will permit the development shown in Fig. 12.

In Fig. 13, however, and which presents the fabric of Fig. 3, there is a diagonal crossing in superposed relation to the loop itself, and a double crossing of diagonals between wales, with the result that the diagonals become effective in preventing the opening out action indicated in Fig. 12, due to the friction conditions set up between the diagonals and the logps. V

, his latter effect is due to the fact that each of the diagonal lengths. of threads extend betweenloops that are located in the same general plane-consideringthe fabric as laid out flat-so that the lateral portions of the thread atthe ends of a diagonal extend in the same direction in entering the loops. As a result, any pulling strains on the loop face of the fabric, tend to draw the diagonal into closer relation with the loops and thus tend to increase the frictional effect. Doubleface fabrics-with both faces presenting the loop conformations-have: heretofore been produced with a' somewhat similar thread progression to that presented herein, but in the double-faced type the diagonals pass from a loop on one face of the fabric to a loop on the opposite face, the result being that all diagonals are between the faces, and any pulling on one of the faces tends to separate the faces, the diagonals acting somewhat along the lines of an accordion efl'ect, so that such pull tends to break down any frictional effect that might be present through the use of the diagonal; in the double-faced type, the thread progression reaches the same face of the fabric only after it has extended 1nto and become active as a loop of the other face of the fabric, and hence is unable to produce the results which form the purpose of the present invention.

This difference is brought about b the fact that the double-faced fabrics re erred to are fashioned on machines which employ a double bank of needles, these being required in order to carry the thread from the loop of one face to the loop of the other face. The present fabric is fashioned on a'machine employingbut a single bank of needles during the knitting of the fabric, the loop conformations all being located on. the same side of the fabric with the other face of the fabric presenting the. appearance ofa diagonal weave.

What I claim is 1. A fabric of the chain stitch type and adapted to restrict the development of ,runs during fabric service, said fabric being composed of vertical and transverse rows of inner and outer looped thread formations and the formations of the vertical rows being connected end to end by threads extending in diverging directions to the the diagonalthreads of the inner formations forming the other face of the fabric, the fabric being characterized in that its opposite faces are so united in fashioning the fabric as to prevent relative movement of one face to the other to separate the faces in a direc tion normal to the planes of the faces.

2. A knitted fabric of the chain stitch type and adapted to restrict the development of runs during fabric service, said fabric having the characteristics of having a looped appearance onone face and the appearance of parallel diagonal lines on its opposite face,

said loop-appearance face having the loops arranged in rows that are parallel with the parallelism extending in each of two directions normal to each other, the loops of adjacent rows of one direction having an interlock. appearance, the loops of adjacent rows of the other direction appearing free'from connectionwith each other, each loop formation being formed 'of a pair of threads lying relative in such manner as to provide a loop conformation of double threads,

-the thread progression being such that each of the pair of threads of a loop formation of one row provides a thread of the loops of two similar, loop formations located inrows on opposite sides-of the row containing the pair-of-threads loop formation, with the progression of a thread from loop to loop extending diagonally to the direction of length of a row, the diagonal progression being in the same direction in developing a continuous succession of loop formations of which the thread forms a part, the fabric being characterized in that its opposite faces are so united in fashioning the fabric as'to prevent relative movement of one face to the other to separate the faces in a direction normal to the planes of the faces.

3. A fabric as in claim 2 characterized in that the direction of diagonal thread progression of one of the threads of aloop formation is angular to that of the other thread of the formation to provide intersecting progressions in which one thread overlies the other thread, the overlying thread being of the same diagonal in each of'the progressions and forming a thread of the outer face of the opposite side of the fabric whereby such opposite face will present the appearance of a diagonal Weave formation with the threads extending in the same general direction.

4:- A fabric as in claim 2 characterized in that the direction of diagonal thread progression of one of the threads of a loop formation is angular to that of the other thread' of the formation to provide intersecting progressions in which one thread overlies the other thread, the overlying thread being of the 'same diagonal in each of the progressions and forming a thread of the outer face of the opposite side of the fabric, whereby such opposite face will present the appearance of a diagonal weave formation with the threads extending in the same general direction, the underlying diagonal thread progression lying intermediate such loop and diagonal;

weave faces of the fabric.

5. A knitted fabric of the chain stitch type and adaptedto restrict the development of runs during fabric service, said fabric havin g the characteristics of having a looped appearance on one face and the, appearance of parallel diagonal lines on its opposite face,

- said loop-appearing face having the loops arranged in rows that are parallel with the pa'rallelism'extending in each of two directions normal to eachother, the loops of adjacent rows of one direction having an interlock appearance, the loops of adjacent rows of the other direction appearing free from connection with each other, each loop formation being formed of a pair of threads lying relatively in such manner as to provide a loop provides a thread of similar loop formations in rows on opposite sides of and adjacent to the row containing the pair-of-threads loop formation in one row direction and on opposite sides of and spaced from such row by an intervening row in the other row direction, the progression of a thread from loop to loop extending diagonally to the direction of length of a row, the diagonal progression being in the same direction in developing a continuous succession of loop formations of which the thread forms a part, the diagonal progression being in the same general direction in developing a continuous succession of loop formations of which the thread forms a part, the fabric being characterized in that its opposite faces are so united in fashioning the fabric as to prevent relative movement of one face to the other to separate the faces in a direction normal to the planes of the faces.

6. A fabric as in claim 5 characterized in that'the diagonally-progressing threads are intersecting overlying relationto the loop formation with one of the diagonal threads in overlying relation to the other diagonal thread to aid in maintaining the general knit conditions in p'i'esence of damage to a loop formation;

7. A fabric as in claim 5 characterized in that the diagonally-progressing threads are tions in presence of damage to a loop formation. i

8. A knitted fabric of the chain stitch type and adapted to restrict the development of runs during fabric service, said fabric having the characteristics of having a looped appearance on one face andthe appearance of parallel diagonal lines on its opposite face, said loop-appearing face presenting the appearance of wales and 'rows with adjacent wales appearing free from connection with each other, each loop formation being formed from a pair of threads lying relatively in such manner as to produce a loop of doublethread characteristic, the thread progression being such that each of the pair of threads of a loop formation of one row and wale provides a thread of similar loop formations in rows adjacent to and on 0p osite sides of the row having such pair-o -threads loop formation, said similar loop formations being located in wales on opposite sides of and spaced from the Wale containing such pairof-threads loop formation by an intervening wale, the pro ression of a thread from loop to loop extending dagonally to the direction progression being in the same direction in developing a continuous succession of loop formations of which the thread forms a part, the loop formations from and towhich the diagonal thread extends both lying on the same side of such diagonal thread, whereby the development of a plurality of rows and wales will provide diagonal threads positioned in intersecting overlying relation to each other with an intersection crossing located in overlying relation to a loop' formation, the fabric being characterized in that its 0 posite faces are so united in fashioning the abric as to prevent relative movement of one face to the other to separate the faces in a direction normalto the planes of the faces.

9. A fabric as in claim 8 characterized in that each of the threads of the pair-of-threads loop formation is active in the production of a similar loop formation in the rows adjacent to the row and Wale having such pairof-threads loop formation With the similar loop formations located in the spaced wales on opposite sides of the wale'containing the pair-of-threads formation, a thread of such pair of threads being active in a loop formation development but once in such adjacent rows and with both threads active inloop formation development in the same wale within such adjacent rows, whereby the pair of threads will be co-operatively active in producing the loop formation of such pairof-threads loop formation Wale and row and individually active in loop formation in the adjacent rows and the wales-that are spaced from such Wale byan intervening wale.

In testimony whereof I affix in signature.

DANIELS. PEESE. 

